Chapter 146 Soul Repair "I won't go back to Kunlun for now."
Kunlun Mountains, Zhenyang Peak.
The sun rose and set on the mountaintop, repeating this cycle several times.
Wen Yizhan lay lazily on the thick tree trunk, her hands folded behind her head, a wild grass she had picked from who-knows-where dangling from her mouth, watching the sun sink low into the distance once again.
It was quiet under the tree. The person who used to practice swordsmanship under this tree had not returned.
When she's not around, there are fewer birds in the sky, and even the sky seems lonely.
Although she was a quiet person, strangely enough, Zhenyang Peak only became lively when she was present.
He had been aware of this situation for a long time.
The message talisman remained unanswered.
Wen Yizhan could roughly guess what was going on; it was definitely that little girl clinging to her and not letting her leave.
That girl is incredibly domineering and unreasonable, and she's also adept at using coquetry. If she uses a combination of soft and hard tactics, even with my honest junior sister's straightforward nature, she might not be able to handle it. He understands Jiang Yuhuo; she seems to be wholeheartedly trying to send that girl away, but in reality, she cherishes her very much, so much so that even he sometimes feels a little displeased.
She's just a stranger who came to our door halfway through life, not a real relative, so why should we care?
Wen Yizhan spat out the wild grass in his mouth with a "tsk," his eyes revealing a gloom he himself hadn't noticed.
She's such a nuisance. If it weren't for her, my junior sister wouldn't be tied down.
If it weren't for her...
A chill rose in the twilight, its coolness seeping into one's skin; a cup of warm water was immediately jolted awake.
How could he have such thoughts? Xiao Jing is sincere towards his junior sister, and it is only reasonable for her to care about him. Even if he is unhappy, he should not have such thoughts!
Even though it was just a fleeting thought, such malice was enough to startle Wen Yizhan. He pressed his temple; perhaps he really should listen to his master and go into seclusion to repair his soul as soon as possible.
As dusk settled, the people in the trees were enveloped in shadow, with a wisp of black mist mingling with the shadows, making them difficult to discern.
Wen Yizhan touched the item in her arms, then lowered her eyes and sighed. It seemed she wouldn't be able to give it away anytime soon. It was just that she was a step too late that day, and there would be no better opportunity afterward.
In the end, Wen Yizhan entered the Xuansi Cave, the quiet chamber where Zhenyang Peak practiced in seclusion. Zhang Zhenyang had once secluded himself here, day after day, to restore his once-completely destroyed foundation to its current level.
Zhang Zhenyang put in a lot of effort to set up the soul-protecting formation in the Xuansi Cave.
Fortunately, Wen Yizhan did not disappoint him. Although he was in excruciating pain, as if he had just been pulled out of the water, he did not struggle at all. The Soul-Repairing Needle and the Soul-Protecting Qi landed precisely on the wound of the soul, without the slightest deviation. Thus, the most difficult first stage was over. All that remained was to go into seclusion and rest, waiting for the damaged soul to heal and regenerate.
Wen Yizhan, drenched in cold sweat, sat weakly on the stone seat.
His gaze was somewhat unfocused, but he was thinking about someone else.
Even with his master's protection and blessing, he was already in so much pain that he could hardly bear it. He dared not imagine how she had endured it when they switched bodies back then.
Despite being so young, she dared to make such a deal with the devil.
Zhang Zhenyang gave a few brief instructions before closing the restrictions on the Xuansi Cave, leaving Wen Yizhan inside to recuperate. Since returning from Moyujiang, he had been somewhat absent-minded, which Wen Yizhan understood. She also knew that cultivating the soul was different from recuperating from injuries; it required deep thought, clarity of mind, and complete focus, and could not tolerate any disturbance from anyone or anything.
But just before the restrictions were about to be lifted, Wen Yizhan called out to Zhang Zhenyang.
"Master, if my junior sister returns, please draw a circle on the restriction. That way, even if I can't get out, I'll feel at ease when I see the circle."
Zhang Zhenyang didn't think too much about it and nodded in agreement.
As soon as Zhang Zhenyang stepped out of the cave, he saw a jade slip glowing among the pile of spiritual objects left outside the formation. It was Wen Yizhan's communication talisman, containing Jiang Yuhuo's belated reply.
"There are still some things to take care of."
"We won't go back to Kunlun for now."
Zhang Zhenyang glanced at the cave entrance and shook his head slightly. It seemed the boy was going to miss the circle he had been longing for.
But Little Fishing Light will eventually return; perhaps when he comes out of seclusion, Little Fishing Light will come back.
Thinking this way, Zhang Zhenyang didn't bother Wen Yizhan with the letter.
*
The Zhou Dynasty Palace, with its Bishui Pool.
The night was deep, and the edge of the pool was pitch black. Only a few lights were still burning in the Xuanji Pavilion on the opposite bank, their dim reflections on the surface of the pool making the black wood at the bottom of the water appear even more mysterious.
Jiang Yuhuo stood by the pool, concentrated, and drew a tiny point of light from her forehead, placing it in her hand. It transformed into a transparent shard of glass, extremely small in size, more like a fragment than a shard.
This is what Bai Hui implanted in her forehead before leaving under the Demon Sealing Seal, along with this shard of glass, and the method to summon Jia Qianyang using this item.
Jiang Yuhuo made a cut in her palm, and the blood that emerged quickly enveloped the glass shards. She injected her spiritual power into the blood bead, and soon the blood seeped into the transparent glass. Gradually, the blood bead was completely absorbed, leaving only a tiny red dot in the glass.
She silently recited the incantation in her heart, praying that the deity who heard the summons would come to see her.
I recited it twice, but there was no reaction from the surroundings.
Undeterred, Jiang Yuhu poured in another drop of blood and chanted softly once more. But the pond remained calm, and there was no one in sight.
Could it be that Bai Hui lied to her?
Jiang Yuhu stared blankly at the blood-red glass in her hand. Had she used it incorrectly?
"Your Highness, the Eldest Princess."
Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Yuhuo immediately clasped his hands together in alarm and turned around.
Zhou Sidao, with a group of people, stood not far behind her. He smiled and asked, "Why do you visit Bishui Pool so late at night?"
The palace servants carried two dim yellow lanterns, which could only illuminate a very small area, so Jiang Yuhuo could see that Zhou Sidao's face was half in the light and half in the dark.
Jiang Yuhuo sized up the newcomer, and instead of answering, asked, "Mr. Zhou, why are you here so late at night? It's late, shouldn't you be resting by now? I heard from Xiao Jing that you are a person with a regular schedule."
Zhou Sidao suddenly chuckled, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Your Highness, are you aware that tomorrow is Your Highness's engagement ceremony? As the official in charge of rites, I must naturally treat this with utmost care. There are still many matters in the palace that have not been settled; how can I possibly rest?"
His smile deepened. "Although it's just a contract, it concerns the Zhou Kingdom and the immortal families. Your Highness should take it to heart. The palace servants are probably searching for Your Highness everywhere right now."
Jiang Yuhu choked, realizing she hadn't taken the matter to heart.
But then she remembered that the marriage alliance was proposed by the Great Zhou, and the date for the betrothal ceremony was set by Li Mengbai. All she had to do was agree to the marriage alliance between Xiao Jing and the Li family, and the rest was just cooperating as the eldest princess of the Great Zhou.
There's no need to take it to heart.
Jiang Yuhuo looked at Zhou Sidao's side and saw that besides the palace servants holding lanterns, there were several officials in court attire. Among them was one she had seen before, the prime minister who had strongly advocated for the marriage alliance. He looked young, but his temples were slightly gray.
Seeing her look over, the Prime Minister nodded slightly to her, "Your Highness, the Princess. Your Highness is righteous and brave. Now that the Qin traitor is seriously injured, the morale of the Yong army is in disarray, and we dare not make any rash moves for the time being. On behalf of the people of the Great Zhou, I thank Your Highness."
As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Jiang Yuhuo.
Jiang Yuhuo understood that he was referring to the assassination of Qin Yuqi, but since it wasn't for the sake of the Great Zhou, she felt unworthy of the Prime Minister's courtesy. She quickly helped him up and said, "No need to thank me."
With this support, her hand opened slightly, and the blood-red glass in her palm still shone faintly, attracting the attention of Zhou Sidao and the Prime Minister who were closest to her.
Jiang Yuhuo, however, secretly glanced at the group, subtly revealing her Blood Glaze to see their reactions.
Isn't it a bit too coincidental that a group of people appeared right after she had completed all the steps?
Perhaps knowing that the current princess was a member of the immortal sect, Zhou Sidao and the prime minister both showed surprise in their eyes, but they did not ask any questions. Since the two of them did not speak, the other attendants naturally did not say anything either.
Jiang Yuhuo did not detect anything unusual about these people. On the contrary, her palm was now faintly emitting a familiar and strange fragrance because of the glass.
There is no indication of heresy.
Before leaving, Zhou Sidao gave her an orchid.
The orchids grow by the Bishui River. He and a group of officials came here to pick fresh orchids and infuse them with spiritual power so that they would remain fresh and vibrant at tomorrow's ceremony.
“Your Highness, no matter what happened before, we are now members of the Ji family. I pledge my loyalty with this orchid; if Your Highness ever needs my help in the future, I will follow you to the death.”
Jiang Yuhuo accepted the orchid, slightly surprised. Was Zhou Sidao implying that he was treating her as Ji Hongyu, essentially acknowledging her as his master?
Speaking of following, she finally remembered the person who had gone to Jiuyou Mountain with her that day, and asked about Ji Qiu'an's situation. Xiao Jing said that Li Mengbai had brought her back to the Zhou Palace, but she didn't know if Ji Qiu'an was safe and sound.
Zhou Sidao frowned almost imperceptibly, then smiled gently and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Qiu An is fine. When Your Highness was injured that day, the young master of the Li family came to your rescue, and Qiu An left afterward. Your Highness need not worry; you will see him at the ceremony tomorrow."
He spoke cleverly, and every word he uttered was true. But when put together, it made people think that Ji Qiu'an only stayed briefly at Jiuyou Mountain and did not offer any help. It was also that Jiang Yuhuo was able to leave because of Li Mengbai.
Knowing that the person was unharmed, Jiang Yuhuo felt relieved. Looking back now, she realized she had been too anxious and hadn't explained the risks to Ji Qiu'an, allowing him to follow her all the way. At least the boy wasn't hurt.
It was already past midnight when they returned to their bedchamber.
The palace servants were already drowsy. Jiang Yuhuo knew that they had been working hard preparing for the ceremony recently. After listening to a few words of instruction on the ceremony and etiquette and roughly understanding the steps, she told them to go back and rest. The betrothal ceremony and the wedding ceremony were to be held at dusk, so there would be plenty of time during the day.
All the palace servants had left, and the bedchamber was now brightly lit with red candles and red curtains, which shone dazzlingly against the golden chrysanthemum emblem of the Li family.
After sleeping for many days, Jiang Yuhuo felt no sleepiness whatsoever. She carefully put away the shard of glass, sat on the couch, and meditated for a while. She was certain that the backlash she suffered when she stabbed Qin Yuqi with her sword had completely healed. If she hadn't been so weak when she first woke up, she would have almost thought that the backlash was just an illusion.
Something must be repairing her body.
That time at the bottom of the Moyu River was one, and now it's another. She couldn't help but think of the bead-like object she had swallowed while she was drowsy underwater.
This kind of thing... made her feel vaguely uneasy.
She can't afford it.
Perhaps it was because he failed to summon Jia Qianyang using Bai Hui's method, or perhaps it was something else, but he felt inexplicably irritable.
Jiang Yuhuo left the palace.
The courtyard was cool and still at night, and the moon had already risen, hanging high in the sky.
In the courtyard, she saw someone who should never have been there.
Ji Qiu'an.
His face was as pale as paper, and his usually rosy lips had lost their color; he appeared to be in poor health. He stood under a tree in the courtyard, gazing in the direction of the sleeping quarters, and it was unclear how long he had been standing there.
"What's wrong? Is there something you need?" Jiang Yuhuo tilted her head slightly and asked.
Ji Qiu'an looked up at her, the sadness in her eyes almost tangible, slowly spreading from the ground and all the way to Jiang Yuhuo.
"Jiang Xianjun, do you really intend to marry Li Mengbai?"
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